When the theme nature was chosen for the month of November, Regina Boston instantly was the p52clicks community member that we knew we had to share with the group. Regina's nature images are stunning, and are so ethereal that I often find myself scratching my head wondering how she gets such unique shots of every day flowers and plants. Dive in to this month's spotlight to find out how Regina found her own style, her favorite gear, and what images she loves the most!
Tell us about your photography journey...
My love for photography started when I was a teenager, though I didn’t zone into photography until my early 20’s when I took a Photography 100 class at a local community college, using film and a dark room. That class re-sparked the joy of photography for me and I have been photographing families consistently since then. I’ve always had an interest in macro nature images, and would swoon over all the pretty details that macro brings out. In 2018 I played with a Canon 100mm macro lens and feel deeply in love with all the details and textures I was able to capture. Over the years I followed a friend who would shoot the most glorious macro flower images with a Lensbaby lens, she turned me on to these creative lenses and I was gifted my first LB lens, Veltvet56, during the summer of 2019. It was all over after that! Quarantine provided me the opportunity to hone in on my love for macro nature images, allowing me to walk the neighborhood looking for fun and unique subjects to photograph. Today I’m still photographing families, newborns, and seniors, though I’m also going out in nature to capture the details that fill my creative cup.
Tell us a bit about your style...
I would say my style is a mix between impressionism and realism. My intent is to create painterly, bold, yet delicate and warm, emotive images. I love dreamy light and am always noticing how light effects my surroundings. I use it to highlight details in macro images, to create a painterly effect with reverse freelensing, to create abstract art through ICM, to enhance the mood and depth in an image, and add visual interest in my storytelling.
What gear do you use?
I’m a HUGE Lensbaby fan, a majority of my nature images are taken with a Lensbaby creative lens. Last year I purchased an old vintage Helios 44-2 and feel in love with the creamy bokeh it creates through reverse freelensing.
What's your go to lens and why?
It’s a toss-up between the Helios 44-2 and the Lensbaby Velvet85. I love all my Lensbaby lenses for different reasons but prefer the Velvet85 for nature images. This lens is a BEAST and is phenomenal for macro images. The bokeh and lens flare created by this lens is absolutely dreamy! If anyone has any questions about Lensbaby items, please message me! I can offer a discount code and help photographers select which Lensbaby lens would fit their creative desires.
Who and what inspires you?
I love seeing creative artwork on Instagram and am heavily influenced by Lucy Ketchum, Ceri Herd, and Anna Aromin! However, I'm also influenced by techniques such as creating abstract art through ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) and playing with Reverse Freelensing which is my absolute favorite technique.
What tips do you have for shooting nature?
My biggest tip is to shoot every day and learn, learn, learn! Invest in yourself by taking classes, reading tutorials, experimenting, and joining photography groups. This will help push you to try new techniques and awaken your creative voice! Go out on a nature walk with your camera and one lens, explore your surroundings, and shoot what speaks to you. If the weather is uncooperative, bring nature indoors, setup next to a window for light, and shoot your subject from many different perspectives. The joy of digital photographer is that you can take as many images as you’d like until you find that Ah-Ha moment with your subject.
What nature image are you most proud of and/or love the most and why?
I am most proud of these 4 images:
Backlit greenery – This image makes me all gooey, I just love the painterly effect from reverse freelensing and the warm bokeh from the golden hour. Lens – Helios 44-2
Orange bouquet – Another favorite reverse freelensed image, I adore the explosion of light and color and how my eyes roam all over the image. Lens – Helios 44-2
Red Love – The detail and creamy blur created with the Velvet85 is so dreamy! Lens: Velvet85
The Abyss – When I saw this image behind the camera I almost melted! I just adore the thin slice of focus and the movement created by the creative blur. Lens – Velvet85